[Vision2020] U of I Sustainability Center: All Day Climate Change Education Event Wed. Nov. 4 UI Commons Building

[Ted Moffett]

 http://www.uidaho.edu/newsevents/Item?id=40365 University of Idaho
Sustainability Center Stirs Up Campus for Climate Change Tuesday, October 20

*Written by Alecia Hoene *
 ...the university's Sustainability Center will host a full-day Fall
Teach-In on Wednesday, Nov. 4

The event will be held in conjunction with the 350 Group’s nationwide “Day
of Climate Action,” and will take place from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the
Commons Clearwater and Whitewater rooms, 875 S. Line St. in Moscow.

The 350 Group is a broad coalition of notable individuals like author Bill
McKibben, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, environmental advocate Van Jones and NASA
climate expert James Hansen. 350 represents the safe level, in parts per
million, of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The earth’s atmosphere
currently has approximately 390 ppm, much above the historical level of 275
ppm – the level where the atmosphere hovered until about 200 years ago.

The Fall Teach-In will bring together many of the university’s accomplished
researchers and faculty from various disciplines. The Teach-In will engage
students to personally take on issues presented, a difficult challenge with
a large and all consuming issue like climate change.

The UISC seeks to present climate change and its attendant issues in an
alternate manner – with optimism and good humor. Climate change dialogue
generally is bleak and often charged with negative emotion. Apart from an
energetic and participation-oriented speaker lineup, the event will include
more up-tempo elements, such as dance numbers and a Residence Halls
bake-off. The baked goods produced will be given away to visitors at the
entrance.

“The UISC is about optimism,” said Darin Saul, director of the UISC. “Of
course these problems are real and serious. But if anything will solve them
it will be creativity and optimism. Obsessing about a problem per se never
solved anything. We need to focus energy into creative and proactive
responses to the problems.”

It is this optimism that the UISC hopes to infuse into campus culture
through events like the Fall Teach-In.

“We understand that our generation is increasingly responsible for the
damage done to the world, to our own future prospects," said Andy Carman,
UISC student programs coordinator. "And we will be increasingly responsible
for pulling ourselves out of this crisis.”

And, while the UISC believes in focusing personal responsibility, it seeks
to do so in so far as it is productive. “No one responds well to blame or
guilt," Carman said. "That’s because they are red herrings on the trail to
achieving positive results. There is an immense wellspring of hope and
compassion in my generation. At UISC, we believe that’s exactly the right
attitude to take to such serious issues.”

For more information or to get involved, contact Carman at
andrew.carman at vandals.uidaho.edu or (208) 885-0125.

As increasing environmental awareness drives interest in sustainable
practices, the University of Idaho continues to seek carbon reduction
initiatives to meet the current and future needs of society and to
contribute to the quality of life and the natural resources in Idaho, the
nation and the world. The University of Idaho emitted some 38,981 metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in
2007, which is equal to 3.59 tons per student. The university has set a goal
to be carbon neutral by 2030 and has begun the work to reduce carbon
emissions across operations. For more information about the university’s
sustainability efforts, contact the University of Idaho Sustainability
Center at uisc at uidaho.edu or visit www.uisc.uidaho.edu.
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Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
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